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A little over thirteen centuries ago, the prophet Muhammad converted a few Arab desert tribes to the belief in a single god, Allah, thus founding the religion of Islam. Within a century, that belief had created one of history's mightiest empiresâ€”and today Islam continues to shape events around the globe.

This comprehensive guide offers an informative and insightful introduction to Islam both as a religion and as a political-economic force. It tells the story of Muhammadâ€”and the rise of Islam; outlines the sacred book, the Koran; explains "the five pillars of faith"; explores the interplay between religion and government; describes the differences that divide Islam; and, above all, shows the influence of Islam on world affairs. This second revised edition provides crucial new material on the Islamic community today, including discussion of the Gulf War and the Salman Rushdie affair; the rise and ebb of fundamentalist fervor in Iran, Algeria, and elsewhere; and the relationships among different factions of the Islamic faith. There are also updated descriptions of internal politics in Syria, Egypt, Pakistan, and other Islamic nations. Complete with glossary, bibliography. and index, Understanding Islam is engrossing, essential reading for both students and all who seek a clearer understanding of the world in which we live.

Product Information Specifications for Understanding Islam: An Introduction to the Muslim World, Third Edition Below:

The Hidden Origins of Islam: New Research into Its Early History

Manufacturer: Prometheus Books

Despite Muhammad's exalted place in Islam, even today there is still surpisingly little actually known about this shadowy figure and the origins of the Qur'an because of an astounding lack of verifiable biographical material. Furthermore, most of the existing biographical traditions that can be used to substantiate the life of Muhammad date to nearly two centuries after his death, a time when a powerful, expansive, and idealized empire had become synonymous with his name and vision - thus resulting in an exaggerated and often artificial characterization of the prophetic figure coupled with many questionable interpretations of the holy book of Islam.On the basis of datable and localizable artifacts from the seventh and eighth centuries of the Christian era, many of the historical developments, misconceptions, and fallacies of Islam can now be seen in a different light. Excavated coins that predate Islam and the old inscription in the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem utilize symbols used in a documented Syrian Ara...

This valuable reference work synthesizes and elucidates traditional themes and issues in Islamic philosophy as well as prominent topics emerging from the last twenty years of scholarship. Written for a wide readership of students and scholars, The Routledge Companion to Islamic Philosophy is unique in including coverage of both perennial philosophical issues in an Islamic context and also distinct concerns that emerge from Islamic religious thought. This work constitutes a substantial affirmation that Islamic philosophy is an integral part of the Western philosophical tradition. Featuring 33 chapters, divided into seven thematic sections, this volume explores the major areas of philosophy: Logic, Metaphysics, Philosophy in the Sciences, Philosophy of Mind/Epistemology, and Ethics/Politics as well as philosophical issues salient in Islamic revelation, theology, prophecy, and mysticism. Other features include: â€¢A focus on both the classical and post-classical periods â€¢A contributing body that includ...

Hadith: Muhammad's Legacy in the Medieval and Modern World (Foundations of Islam)

Contrary to popular opinion, the bulk of Islamic law does not come from the Qurâ€™an but rather from hadith, first-hand reports of the prophet Muhammadâ€™s words and deeds, passed from generation to generation. However, with varying accounts often only committed to paper a century after the death of Muhammad, Islamic scholars, past and present, have been faced with complex questions of historical authenticity.Informative and accessible, this wide-ranging introduction provides a detailed exploration of the collection and criticism of hadith and examines the controversy surrounding its role in modern Islam. Complete with a glossary, extensive bibliography, and helpful diagrams, Hadith is perfectly suited to students, scholars, and the general reader interested in this critical element of Islam.Jonathan A.C. Brown is Assistant Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies, University of Washington, Seattle. He is the author of Muhammad: A Very Short Introduction.

Before Orthodoxy: The Satanic Verses in Early Islam

Manufacturer: Harvard University Press

One of the most controversial episodes in the life of the Prophet Muhammad concerns an incident in which he allegedly mistook words suggested by Satan as divine revelation. Known as the Satanic verses, these praises to the pagan deities contradict the Islamic belief that Allah is one and absolute. Muslims todayâ€•of all sectsâ€•deny that the incident of the Satanic verses took place. But as Shahab Ahmed explains, Muslims did not always hold this view.Before Orthodoxy wrestles with the question of how religions establish truthâ€•especially religions such as Islam that lack a centralized authority to codify beliefs. Taking the now universally rejected incident of the Satanic verses as a case study in the formation of Islamic orthodoxy, Ahmed shows that early Muslims, circa 632 to 800 CE, held the exact opposite belief. For them, the Satanic verses were an established fact in the history of the Prophet. Ahmed offers a detailed account of the attitudes of Muslims to the Satanic verses in the first ...

The Search for Beauty in Islam: A Conference of the Books

Khaled Abou El Fadl is a classically-trained Islamic jurist, an American lawyer and law professor, and one of the most important Islamic thinkers today. In this updated and expanded edition of The Search for Beauty in Islam, Abou El Fadl offers eye-opening and enlightening insights into the contemporary realities of the current state of Islam and the West. Through a "conference of the books," an imagined conference of Muslim intellects from centuries past, Abou El Fadl examines the ugliness that has come to plague Muslim realities and attempts to reclaim what he maintains is a core moral value in Islam-the value of beauty. Does Islamic law allow, or even call for, the gruesome acts of ugliness that have become so commonly associated with Islam today? Has Islam become a religion devoid of beauty, compassion and love? Based on actual cases, this book tackles different issues and problems in each chapter through a post-9/11 lens, discussing such topics as marriage, divorce, parental rights, the position of women...

Oil & Water: Two Faiths: One God

Manufacturer: CopperHouse
Brand: imusti

Listen to any news broadcast today and the message comes through loud and clear: Islam is a religion of violence and behind every Muslim there lurks a potential terrorist. Islam is a threat to values of the Christian West. They are like oil and water. Clearly, they donâ€™t mix. Oil & Water: Two Faiths One God confronts these popular perceptions head-on. With keen insight and gentle understanding, it explores the differences between Christianity and Islam, as well as the many things these two enduring faith traditions hold in common â€“ including, first and foremost, their belief in and desire to be faithful to the one, true God; their shared roots and scripture (from the Jewish faith); and the spiritual values of peace and social justice. Written for Christians by Muslim world-religions scholar Amir Hussain, the book is divided into two parts. Part 1, provides an overview of the Islamic faith and of the lives of Muslims in North America today. Chapters focus on the place and identity of Muslims in ...

The Translation of the Meanings of Sahih Al-Bukhari: Arabic-English (English and Arabic Edition)

Manufacturer: Dar-us-Salam Publications

Generally regarded as the single most authentic collection of Ahadith, Sahih Al-Bukhari covers almost all aspects of life in providing proper guidance from the messenger of Allah. This 9-Volume Bukhari is the work of over 16 years by Imam Bukhari who before writing any Hadith in this book performed two Rakat prayer of guidance from Allah and when he was sure of the Hadith's authenticity, he wrote it in the book. Tremendous amounts of errors exist in the translations by other translators. To eliminate the problem Dar-us-Salam spent over 3 years in the publication of this book and presented a book which is translated into English in a very easy & simple language, so that all readers can understand it without difficulty. This is the unabridged version consisting of 7563 ahadith (about 4000 pages) which are presented neatly in smaller books format and printed on super-fine paper. Each book (subtopics in each volume categorized by very broad topics such as the Book of As-Salat) contains many chapters which represe...

The God-Science Of Black Power

Manufacturer: Secretarius MEMPS Publications

An Elijah Muhammad Speech During The Second Day of The Nation of Islam Saviour's Day Convention in 1967. It aims chiefly at the politically shallow 60's version of Black power by introducing "Real Black Power" as it relates to how God and all life originally came out of total black space. A profound example of Elijah Muhammad's comprehensive lecture is demonstrated when he asked, "If the scripture said that in the beginning God said 'Let there be light,' then He couldn't have been in the light when he said that. He Himself had to have come from Blackness; thus ORIGINAL BLACK POWER!

The Holy Qur'an: Roman Transliteration, with orginal Arabic Text and English translation (English and Arabic Edition)

Manufacturer: Kitab Bhavan

The Holy Qur'an is ideal for individuals who do not know how to read Arabic script. This edition has in one column the Arabic script, second column has Transliteration in Roman Script and the third column has the English translation by Abdullah Yusuf Ali. In the his preface Abdullah Yusuf Ali had this to say to his readers: "Read, study and digest the Holy Book. Read slowly, and let it sink into your heart and soul. Such study will, like virtue, be its own reward."